Cameroon: An International Human Rights body has condemned the arbitrary arrest and detention of Barrister AMUNGWA, defence counsel for Ambazonian leaders and call for his immediate released
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arrister AMUNGWA TANYI NICODEMUS,
A Cameroonian based Human Rights NGO, the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA) has described the arrest and detention of one of the leading counsel for the Ambazonian leaders as arbitrary. In the statement dated 1 June 2021, CHRDA says that Barrister AMUNGWA TANYI NICODEMUS, was arrested on 31 May 2021 by elements of the National Gendarmerie and detained at Secretariat d’Etat a la Defense (SED) in Yaounde.
A lawyer, member of the Cameroon Bar Association and Defense Lawyer for Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe and several other Anglophones detained in connection with the Anglophone armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon, was arrested at Groupement Territorial de la Gendarmerie at about 4 p.m. while representing his client. according to the statement from CHRDA
The Human Rights body also stated that “He was arrested on allegations that content and information related to the Anglophone crisis was found on his telephone after an arbitrary search by a gendarme officer.”
“According to Barrister Amungwa, he was arrested by gendarmes because he was vehemently contesting the arbitrary nature of their investigations and arrest of his client. Whereas, the report of the gendarmes who arrested him is to the effect that he took photos, an act which prompted the gendarme officers to seize his phone and in the course of searching for such photos, they found other content and post related to Anglophone struggle and killings of military officers.” the statement reads
The findings from CHRDA further details that he was arbitrarily arrested at about 5 pm and transferred to the Service Central des Recherches Judiciaires at SED where he is currently in Custody and accused of Inciting Acts of Terrorism.
The CHRDA reiterated that the recent arbitrary arrest and detention of Barrister AMUNGWA TANYI NICODEMUS is a direct attack on human rights defenders and that the telephone of a lawyer as well as journalist and other human rights defenders is not subjected to any arbitrary search without a warrant. By dint of the fact that such persons deal with information which is obtained from all sources including social media, the presence of such information in their keeping must not be subjected to any criminal prosecution.
Generally, messages are forwarded via WhatsApp groups without the consent of the recipient, and possession thereof does not suffice to make one a criminal unless there is evidence that he shared the same. Several Anglophones have been arrested and detained and some tried on counts of terrorism for the mere fact that their telephones were arbitrarily searched by military officers and images and other content related to the Anglophone crisis was found in their possession.
At the end of the statement, CHRDDA condemned the act and calls for his immediate release, “We, therefore, condemn this attitude of the military and call for the immediate release of Barrister Amungwa and all persons arrested under similar circumstances.”
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Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
